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Published December 25, 2017 | public
Journal Article

Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a thermal interface in a two-fluid plasma

Abstract

We computationally investigate the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a density interface with a single-mode perturbation in a two-fluid, ion–electron plasma with no initial magnetic field. Self-generated magnetic fields arise subsequently. We study the case where the density jump across the initial interface is due to a thermal discontinuity, and select plasma parameters for which two-fluid plasma effects are expected to be significant in order to elucidate how they alter the instability. The instability is driven via a Riemann problem generated precursor electron shock that impacts the density interface ahead of the ion shock. The resultant charge separation and motion generates electromagnetic fields that cause the electron shock to degenerate and periodically accelerate the electron and ion interfaces, driving Rayleigh–Taylor instability. This generates small-scale structures and substantially increases interfacial growth over the hydrodynamic case.

Additional Information

© 2017 Cambridge University Press. Received 29 November 2016; revised 24 September 2017; accepted 25 September 2017. This research was supported by the KAUST Office of Sponsored Research under Award URF/1/2162-01. This work was supported by computational resources provided by the Australian Government under the National Computational Merit Allocation Scheme.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
March 5, 2024